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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23042041">Between the Breaths</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, More tags to be added, Slice of Life, edelgard's siblings - Freeform, peaceful AU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:48:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,222</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23042041</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of vignettes about Edelgard and Dimitri's life In a peaceful world, as they navigate politics and love.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Edelgard von Hresvelg</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Visit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>DISCLAIMER: Due to the person that I am, this fic is very very likely to end up becoming an OT3/OT4 poly ship involving all of the house leaders and Byleth. I will tag any chapters that include non- Dimitri/Edelgard pairings so you can skip them if you want!<br/>I don't really know where this is going plot-wise, but the most important thing to know about the setting is that nothing bad ever happened. Crests are a thing but aren't nearly as important as they are in the game, no torture no slitherers, no Duscur tragedy, and Patricia never married Lambert. It's just fluff, basically.<br/>Tentatively giving this an explicit rating because I have a feeling it may just devolve into porn with a loose plot.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dimitri sits beside his father in their carriage. It feels as though they’ve been travelling for eons, and yet he’s told there’s still a ways to go. He stares at his feet as he swings them from his too-high perch.</p><p>‘If this goes well, perhaps we ought to make it a yearly excursion.’ His father remarks, half to Dimitri and half to Rodrigue, who is sat across from them. </p><p>‘A sound idea, Your Majesty.’ says Rodrigue. Dimitri just stares out the window, watching the world fly past him. </p><p>‘The Emperor has lots of sons and daughters, Dimitri. There’ll be lots of other children for you to play with.’ His father is smiling, but Dimitri just feels his stomach grow tight. He doesn’t like meeting new people- it makes him nervous. </p><p>‘Um.. how many?’</p><p>‘Eleven, I believe. You certainly won’t be bored!’ His father laughs, loud and booming, and Rodrigue gives him an encouraging smile. Dimitri just sinks further back into his seat. This is going to be really, really hard. </p><p>His eyelids begin to feel heavy, so he closes them for a bit.</p><p>--</p><p>‘We’re here, Dimitri.’ He’s awoken by a gentle tousle of his hair, and the sound of his father’s voice. He blinks until his vision is clear, gives his father a nod, and slides off the bench. Once out of the carriage, he adjusts his tunic until he’s certain it’s straight. He takes in his surroundings;  the sun is blindingly bright, but it still pales in comparison to the palace that awaits them at the end of the steep set of stairs leading up to it. He has to crane his neck to see to the very top, the spectacular pillars reaching almost all the way into the sky. The red and gold banners that adorn the walls fill him with a sense of awe. </p><p>His father begins to walk, and gestures for Dimitri to join him. He runs to catch up. He wants to reach out for his hand, but he stops himself when he remembers what his tutors told him. <em> This is an important event. You have to act like a grown up. </em></p><p>As they close the distance between them and the castle, figures begin to come into view. He can see that there’s a lot of them, some short and some tall, but he can’t make out any more than that. Just the sight of them makes the nervous butterflies in his stomach flare up, so he keeps his eyes fixed on the steps as he slowly and carefully climbs them. </p><p>He looks up just long enough to realize that they’ve reached the reception hall of the palace, and that there’s a multitude of eyes fixed solidly on him. He bows, a little hurriedly, and stays with his head tilted downwards as long as he can. There’s talk, but he’s not listening to a word that’s being said. He feels Rodrigue gently tap him on the shoulder, and reluctantly draws himself upright again. <em> There’s so many of them. </em>He instinctively moves closer to his father. </p><p>‘This is my son, Prince Dimitri.’ His father places a hand on the small of his back and gives him a small push into the centre of the room. His heart begins to pound. ‘Umm…’ All of his training evaporates, as he feels many curious eyes fixed solely on him. He looks panickedly at Rodrigue, who tries to gesture something to him that he doesn’t catch. So, he just bows again, and then scampers behind his father. This elicits a few coos from the women in the crowd, which just makes Dimitri’s face turn even redder. </p><p>Peeking out from between his father’s legs, he sees the crowd begin to break up. A girl with long brown hair pulled back off her face, older than him but younger than his father, holds a young girl’s hand and whispers something in her ear. The girl looks his way. She’s about the same age as him, with mousy brown hair and striking eyes. His father begins to walk away, while the younger girl begins to walk towards him. <em> Oh no. </em>Without a word, she grabs his hand and pulls him along until they’re trailing his father, who’s walking alongside another tall man that he doesn’t recognize.</p><p>‘I’m Edelgard,’ she says, more of an announcement than an introduction. ‘Don’t be shy. I’ll show you the palace.’ Dimitri gulps and nods. He’s sweating, partially due to the unfamiliar heat, and partially down to nerves. He tries to commit her name to memory- it’s an unfamiliar sounding one. He hopes he doesn’t say it wrong. Maybe he just shouldn’t say her name at all?</p><p>‘Did you bring any toys with you?’ Edelgard asks. ‘Um… just these.’ Dimitri reaches into his pocket and retrieves a small pouch. He stops walking, letting his hand drop out of hers so that he can open the pouch and show her the marbles that are inside. She takes one out of his hand and examines it.</p><p>‘Only these?’ she asks, incredulously. Dimitri feels like pride bruising a little, which prompts him to defend himself. ‘They’re fun. You can play a lot of different games with them.’ He realizes how dry his mouth is, now that he’s finally said more than two words in one go. </p><p>‘Hmmph. I have marbles, too, you know. I have a lot of toys.’ She says, taking his hand again and pulling him forward. Dimitri frowns. This girl is...kind of annoying. ‘I couldn’t bring all of my toys here. I brought my bear too, but he’s in my case.’</p><p>This draws her attention, and she turns to look at him. ‘You have a bear as well? What’s his name?’ </p><p>‘Oisin.’ </p><p>She tilts her head. ‘I’ve never heard that name before. You have to show him to me later.’ Dimitri nods, and continues to follow her lead into the cathedral, where his father is standing. He turns to them and smiles upon seeing them enter, bending down so that he’s on eye level with them.</p><p>‘I see you’ve already made a friend. Good boy, Dimitri.’ His father tousles his hair, and Dimitri smiles. Edelgard clears her throat.‘I’m Princess Edelgard.’ she confidently announces to his father. </p><p><em>Wow, </em> Dimitri thinks. <em> I wish I could be like that with grown ups. </em>His father laughs, a genuine chuckle, and reaches out to shake her hand. ‘It’s an honour to meet you, Princess.’</p><p>She sits beside him during the sermon, and whispers to him the entire time. By the end of the mass, he’s been given a briefing on the names of each of her siblings, their favourite foods, and the book that she’s reading at the moment- despite the fact that she was told to be quiet- multiple times- by her older brother. Maybe she’s a little bit brash, but no one talks to him like this. Dimitri finds himself relaxing. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Dolls</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>‘This one is Dolores.’ She proclaims, as she produces a porcelain doll with dirty blonde hair from the chest and places it on the table in front of them. ‘She’s a travelling merchant. Her parents both drowned so now she lives by herself. Also, she’s only nine. The same age as me.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dimitri just nods, slightly dumbfounded. Edelgard pulls up another doll, to his eyes the exact same as the last, just with brown hair instead of blonde.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘This one is Adelaide. I’ll show you her sister in a moment. She looks normal, but she has a secret.’ Dimitri stares at the doll, trying to retain this new information. He breaks his gaze away when he notices Edelgard has turned to face him. She’s looking at him expectantly, if not a little impatiently. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Oh...um… what's her secret?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘She has a crest that lets her turn into a dragon. Someday, she will probably kill a lot of people. So, she’s trying to control it. Her sister wants to kill her before she can kill all those people, though.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Wow…’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It continues in a blur, Edelgard’s seemingly endless collection of porcelain dolls with glassy eyes, until they’re all lined up across the desk. Dimitri is trying his best to keep up, but by the fourth doll he had lost any grip he had on her incredibly convoluted plot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Alright, that’s all of them.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You have so many dolls, El.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I know. I’m allowed to get one when I do well on my tests, and I always do well on my tests.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looks at him with passion burning in her eyes. Dimitri swallows nervously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Now you have to take a test. What’s this one’s name?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She points to a red haired doll with a green bonnet that’s currently flopped over half of her face. Edelgard hurriedly fixes it, then returns to studying Dimitri’s reaction. He cannot remember the doll’s name.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Um… Claribelle?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘No!’ She exclaims, audibly frustrated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Ah, I’m sorry El, it’s just- there’s so many of them!’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘But no one ever remembers them! Only me! I want to play with someone!’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dimitri feels his face reddening, and his eyes begin to sting. He didn’t want to upset her- he feels terrible now. He wants to be able to play dolls with her, but the stories were so confusing, he just couldn’t keep up. He bites down on his lower lip to keep himself from crying, but his next breath comes loudly and shakily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘O-oh-- no, no. Here-’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His sob had drawn Edelgard’s attention, and now she’s scurrying to scale the desk. She thrusts a doll into his arms, then reaches back into her the chest at their feet to retrieve a doll-sized hairbrush and dress.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Don’t cry. I’ll show you how to brush her hair.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He props the doll up in Dimitri’s arms so that it’s sitting upright, and then begins to comb the tiny brush through the doll’s hair. Dimitri wipes his tears away with his sleeve, trying his best to steady his breath. He hates the way he cries so easily, but he appreciates how Edelgard never makes a big fuss over it, unlike most everyone else. She hands him the brush, and he continues hairdressing duties as she fiddles with the doll’s clothes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘What’s this one’s name again, El?’  Dimitri finally asks, his voice still a little shaky. ‘This one is Anastasia. She’s Adelaide’s sister, remember?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Oh, yeah.’ He glances down at the doll. It has hair the same colour as Edelgard’s. ‘She’s pretty.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Edelgard practically puffs her chest out at the compliment. ‘She’s the prettiest doll ever. Brunhilde gave her to me.’  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Brunhilde. </span>
  </em>
  <span>That’s Edelgard’s eldest sibling, the one who’s next in line to the throne. During the three summers he’s spent here so far, he’s only ever seen her once or twice- she’s always busy. She seems kind though, and the last time he saw her, she held his hand and walked him around the lake. Edelgard talks about her a lot, too- probably more than any of her other brothers and sisters.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Is she your favourite doll?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Well…’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They pass the rest of the day together, Edelgard continuing to fill Dimitri in on the intricacies of her doll’s lives. By the time they’re called down for dinner, he can remember each of their names. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. An Arrangement</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Dimitri shifts his weight from one foot to the other, and then back again. He knows that there’s probably no need to request to see his father in such a formal capacity, but since this </span>
  <em>
    <span>is-</span>
  </em>
  <span> strictly speaking- a matter of state, he figured it would be for the best. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The doors to his father’s work room are drawn open from the inside, and he nods at the guards positioned on either side while entering. ‘Hello, Dimitri,’ his father says, barely looking up from the paper in front of him. ‘What’s troubling you?’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Dimitri winces. He knows he’s busy, and he really shouldn’t be bothering him with such trivial concerns at the moment, but each passing day with no mention was making it more and more difficult to sleep soundly at night.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘My apologies for interrupting, Father. I was just wondering… whether I will be returning to Adrestria this summer.’ Lambert looks up from his work, his mouth twisted in a slight smirk. Dimitri frowns.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You’re as eager as ever to visit, I see.’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Well, I suppose- it’s-- I should like to start making preparations, if I’m to depart soon.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His father inks his pen and jots something down on the sheet in front of him, then continues. Dimitri can feel his palms itching- he doesn’t understand why his father insists on drawing this out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Remind me, which of the Hresvelg girls is it that you’re so fond of?’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dimitri feels his ears burning.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Am I really so transparent?</span>
  </em>
  <span> He draws a deep breath, and tries his best not to stutter. There’s no point in beating around the bush.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Ah... that would be Edelgard- she’s the third youngest.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His father relaxes further back into his seat, giving him his full attention. ‘It’s good, you know. Though I have no idea what her father would make of it. Things are getting better, but there’s still tension between Adrestria and Faerghus.’  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His father seems to have a jump in logic- he still hasn’t answered Dimitri’s question, and now he has no idea how to respond. He was not mentally prepared to broach this subject today.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Well, I’m aware that it- if it were to happen, that is- it won’t, well, it won’t be easy. But I-’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His father interrupts his ramblings by rather loudly opening a leather-bound book in front of him, scanning it for a moment before circling something with his pen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You can depart on the fifteenth day of the next moon, and stay there until the beginning of the Horsebow moon.’ Dimitri nods, trying to commit the date to memory, but it’s difficult when his mind is so frazzled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘You have my blessing, Dimitri- though you’ll need to think about how you’re going to approach her father. Send me a letter once you’re there, and I’ll help where I can. It’s been years since I’ve even seen the girl, mind you- but I trust you.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dimitri swallows hard. He had tried to compartmentalize things, to worry about asking permission to spend the summer in Enbarr first, and to then tackle the question of marriage following that. Such concerns are foreign to his father, who prefers to charge head-first into the heart of the matter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Th- thank you. I will start to make preparations.’ His father smiles and casually waves him off. Dimitri briefly wonders how differently this would go if he were born into Adrestrian royalty instead- or any other monarchy on the continent, for that matter. He doubts that any other ruler would be this lackadaisical when it comes to arranging the marriage of his only heir- potentially to a historical enemy of their country, no less. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’s truly thankful for it, though. The levity of what his father has just given him permission to do hasn’t had time to fully sink in yet, but he feels his chest fill up with excitement nonetheless. He turns back to his father before leaving.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I appreciate all of the trust you place in me.’ His father smiles warmly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> ‘You’ve yet to give me a reason not to.’</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. An Engagement</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Summer is drawing to a close. Edelgard is sitting on the grass, shoulder to shoulder with Dimitri, staring out at the lake. They’ve found themselves here day after day, to the point where each summer day has become one hazy blur of blue skies and water lilies, and the warmth of Dimitri’s skin beneath his cotton shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’ll be leaving in a matter of days. He’s been here for almost three months, and yet there’s so much left unsaid between them. There’s so many things she wants to ask him, but she can’t seem to give them voice. There’s been a tension building between them, and she can feel it coming to a head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘The… the weather is fine this evening. I’ll miss it when I return… it’s always so cold.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ends his observation with a forced, breathless laugh, yet keeps his gaze fixed firmly ahead of him. Edelgard groans, pulling her knees up to her chest and burying her face in her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Why are you making small talk about the weather with me?’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She asks, her voice muffled against her skin. Dimitri sighs, his chin dropping to his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘I’m sorry. I’m awful with this kind of thing, aren’t I?’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Just say what you’re thinking.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘I’ve been thinking that… before I return...I… should like to ask for your hand in marriage.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edelgard lifts her head to meet his eyes. She feels anxiety and excitement build in her stomach in equal measure. She’s been waiting for this moment for years, yet she never could quite manage to visualize how it might play out. Dimitri is gripping the grass, digging up the soil and squishing it between his fingers. She can hardly imagine how fast his heart must be beating right now. A part of her wants to answer quickly, to tell him that nothing would make her happier. However, her voice of reason tells her that this marriage is more than just a selfish pursuit of happiness. She needs to lay out clearly what she’s expecting from him before she accepts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘I want to be a Queen, Dimitri.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes are wide with surprise, and his eyebrows knit together in confusion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘I- that’s-- you will be, but you’ll have to wait until my father steps down…’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edelgard sighs. He’s hopeless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘I’m not asking you to dispatch your father, Dimitri. When the time comes, I want to rule as your equal. I won’t just stand by and watch.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘I-’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stutters, then turns to her and grabs her hands with urgency. His palms are damp and warm with sweat. There’s still soil on them too, and she can feel it’s mushy consistency between her fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘I wouldn’t have it any other way.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Have you asked my father yet?’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He squeezes her hands tighter, to the point where it’s beginning to hurt a little bit. She feels bad for keeping him in suspense like this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘I wanted to be certain that </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanted to marry me, before asking him.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her smile widens further, and warmth blooms across her chest. He’s a kind, gentle soul, and she’s very fortunate indeed. She tells herself that she became so dead-set on this union because of the political advantages it presents to her country, and the opportunities she’ll have to help her sister once she ascends the throne. While that does constitute much of it, she also fell for him a long time ago, and has stayed enamoured with him ever since. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s not good with emotions, neither expressing them nor admitting them to herself. She thinks a little bit about what to say, but gives up when she sees the pained expression on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘I accept.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri’s chest finally deflates as he exhales, and his face lights up with a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Sorry for prolonging that so much.’ Edelgard laughs, feeling a little breathless. Dimitri wraps his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in closer to him, which is the closest physical contact the two have ever had. It feels strange, but not unpleasant. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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